Snow-sweeper



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

F. LUCAS.

SNOW SWEBPER.

Patented Apr. 2, 1895..

TH: moan Farms NITED STATES PATENT OFFIC FRANQOIS LUCAS, OF MUNSONS, PENNSYLVANIA.

SNOW-SWEEPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 536,637, dated April 2, 1895.

Application filed December 27, 1894. seas No. 533,093. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANgoIs LUCAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Munsons, in the county of Olearfield and State of Penn: sylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Snow-Sweepers; and 1 do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to snow-sweeping machines and more particularly to that class of snow-sweepers commonly known as track cleaners, which aim to keep railway tracks unincumbered with snow. 7

The object is to provide a sweeper of the class described which will more effectually sweep the road bed and rails and which at the same time will deposit the swept snow on either side of the track.

A further object is to provide means whereby any snow that may freeze to the operating or adjacent parts will be quickly melted so that no clogging will result.

With these objects in view my invention consists of a rotary brush adapted to sweep the snow into a hopper, and a device operating with a reciprocating movement within the hopper to expel the snow therefrom.

It further consists in suitable devices for removing snow or ice which may freeze to the operating parts and tend to hinder them.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1, represents a bottom view of my complete invention; Fig. 2, a side elevation thereof, and Fig. 3, a sectional side elevation, showing the direction of the brushes and the course of the swept snow.

A represents the body of an ordinary flatcar mounted upon the axles 1 which are provided with the usual wheels 2. The sides 3 of this car extend forward as shown at 4 to provide a suitable structure wherein the I sweeping and scraping mechanisms operate.

Around the top of the car A extends a ridge 5, thus providing a suitable box into which ballast may be placed to give proper traction to the wheels of the car. Depending from the extensions 4 are two sets of hangers 6, and 7, respectively, and the side walls 4 of the sweeping chamber. These hangers are securely bolted to the said extensions and are provided at their lower extremities with j ournal boxes 8, and 9 respectively which are adapted to receive the journals 10 and 11 of the respective rotary parallel brushes 12 and 13. To serve all purposes these brushes may be of the usual construction, but I sometimes prefer to affix the bristles to longitudinal strips or sections 14 which are in turn attached by suitable devices to the body of the brush. This latter method possesses advantages over the usual construction in that it allows of the easy withdrawal of any section should the brush need repairing. The brushes 10 and 11 are placed in such relation one to the other as to leave but a slight space between the respective sets of bristles on the two brushes. A web or wall 15, formed preferably of sheet metal, extends across the space intervening the respective extensions 4, being affixed to the lower edges thereof, and is formed at its rear end into an elongated hopper 16 open at either end. This web is provided with a series of perforations 17, and any suitable material, such, for instance, as salt may be placed upon the top of the wall or web when the machine is in operation to filter through and melt any snow or ice which may cling to it and the adjacent parts of the device. A series of scraping disks 18 connected by a rod 19, are adapted to play longitudinally within the hopper 16 to eliminate from anddeposit on either side of the railway track the snow and ice which is swept into the said hopper by the brushes 12 and 13 which precede it. Sprockets 20 and 21 are keyed to the respective axles 1, and a sprocket chain 22 operating over them adds greater power to both axles; and to one extremity of the forward axle is affixed another sprocket 23. A shaft 24, journaled in boxes 25, is provided with two sprockets 26 and 27 respectively, and has also keyed thereon a cog gear 28. Motion isimpart-ed to the shaft 24 through the medium of a short sprocket chain 29 which runs over the sprockets 23 and 26. One of the journals 10 of the brush 12 extends beyond its respective journal box 8 to receive a sprocket 30, and a sprocket chain 31 operating over the other pivotally connected to the rod 19,

the sprockets 27 and 30 communicates motion to the said brush when the machine is in operation. On one of the extended journals 11 of the brush 13 is keyed a pinion 32 which meshes with the cog gear 28, and it and hence the brush 13, receive motion from this gear- By this construction it will beseenthat the brush 13 is adapted to revolve at a greater peripheral velocity than the brush 12 for reasons which will be hereinafter set forth. The rod 19 and hence the scraping disks 18 are operated through mechanism which will now gle-levers 41 and 42, the oneprojecting from the pinion 39 and rigidly affixed thereto,and

afford a connection between the saidpi'nion and the scraping device so that when the pinion is rocked by the reciprocationof the bar 36 when the wheels '2 revolve, the scraping disks will travel longitudinally within the hopper 16.

I will now proceed to describe its operation.

\Vhen itis desired to clean the snow from the railroad track,'the snow-sweeperis coupled to the front of a locomotive andpushed by the same. parted through the sprocket chains and the gearing to the rotary, brushes which, owing to the peculiar arrangement of the said chains and gearing, will revolve in opposite directions, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 3 of the drawings. By an inspection of this figure it will be seen that the forward brush revolves in a clock-wise direction, and the rear brush, in a counterclockwise direction. By this construction, as the machine advances, the snow is drawn in under the forward brush, where it strikes the rear brush and owing to the direction and rapidity of revolution of the latter, the snow is thrown upward, as shown by arrows, against the Web above the brushes and from thence deflected into the hopper. In the meantime the scraping disks have been at work owing to the movements of the toggle-levers and devices that connect them with the car axle. As the snow falls into the hopper, the reciprocation or i the scrapers therein forces it out at either end of the said hopper, depositing it on either side of the railway track. If anysnow should freeze to the webabove the brushes, the salt issuing through the perforations therein will cause it to melt thus preventing the machine from'becoming clogged, which might occur were this feature of the inventionomitted.

I do not limit myself to theprecise construction herein shown and described, but consider myself entitled to all such variations As the wheels revolve motion is imbrushes adaptedto throw snow into the said hopper.

3. In a snow sweeper, thecotnbination with a hdpper,'and a discharging deviceadapted to reciprocate therein, of pair of rotary brushes adapted to revolve in opposite directions and to thro'wsnow intothehopper.

4. The combination of sweepingbrusl les, a hopper, and a series of disks operating withinthe hopper. p 5. The eembin'ation'with apair of rotary brushesrevolving in opposite'tlirections,'of a hopper, and a series of 'disksoperatingwithin the hopper.

6. In a snow sweeper,thecombination with apair of rotary parallel brushes adapted to Having thus fully described my invention revolve in opposite directions, of a hopper, and a series "of scraping'disks operating within the hopper to discharge therefrom the snow which is thrown therein by the brushes.

7. In a snow sweeper,thecombi'n'ation with 'a hopper, of forward and rear rotary brushes adapted to revolve in opposite directions, the forward brush revolving in such direction that the snow will be drawn'in'ujnderit and thence lifted into the hopper'by' the combined action'of the two brushes.

8. In a snow sweeper,thecom'bination with a hopper and a discharging device adapted to reciprocate therein, ofap'air of parallel rotary brushes adapted to revolve i'n'opposite directiens tothrow snow into the hopper.

9. Ina snowsweeper, the combination with a hoppeiyland a pairof rotary brushes adapted to revolve in opposite directions andat dif ferent speeds, of'a discharging device adapted to reciprocate within the hopper. 10. In a snow sweeper,a sweeping chamber formed of side walls and a webextending between the said side walls, which is bent'at one end into a depending hopper.

11. In a snow sweeper,a receptacle fortned intoia depending hopper atone end and provided with perforations in its bottom, wherebysalt or like material, adapted to melt snow and ice, placed therein, may filter through.

12. Ina snow sweeper, the combination with a sweeping brush, of a receptacle provided with aperforated bottom, the said receptacle being placed in such relation to the sweeping brush as to allow its contents to filter through the perforated bottoin onto the brush.

. 13. In a snow'sweeper the combination with the scraping disks operating within the hopsweeper is in operation the said discharging device will operate within the hopper to discharge the snow therefrom.

In witness whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANQOIS LUCAS.

Witnesses:

W. E. PETERSON, E. T. ROAN. 

